Marine bitt

ABSTRACT

A marine bitt for receiving a line to be secured, the bitt having a pair of posts upstanding from a base with a slot between the posts and flanges extending outwardly from the top of the posts so that a line to be secured can have its standing portion put into said slot and a half hitch laid thereover under said flanges. The bitt can be used for making ships fast, towing, anchorage, or wherever a line or cable is to be secured.

United States Patent Coleman, II 1 Oct. 1, 1974 1 MARINE BITT 3,507,2424 1970 Brown 114/218 [7 6] Inventor: William H. Coleman, 11, 4405FOREIGN PATENTS'OR APPLICATIONS Congressmal COYPUS Cm 1511, 801,6831/1951 Germany 114/218 Tex. 78413 [22] Filed: Apr. 24, 1972 PrimaryExaminerTrygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner-Gregory W. OConnor [21] App!24676l Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Smythe & Moore [52] :LS. Cl. 114/218 57ABSTRACT v [51] nt. Cl B63b 21/04 [58] Field of Search 114/218, 217;24/129 R, 'T 'i 9 a be secured I 24/115 R 115 J b1tt havmg a pan ofposts upstandmg from a base w1th a slot between the posts and flangesextending out- 1561 281 3822812582:8582532812:3112;222:1252; UNITEDSTATES PATENTS and a half hitch laid thereover under said flanges. The1,012,328 l2/l9ll Cope 24/129 bitt can be used for making ships fast,towing, anchor- 1'694'312 12/1928 Clark 14/218 age, or wherever a lineor cable is to be secured. 1,960,171 5/1934 Seeger 114/218 X 3,398,7148/1968 Wallen et a1 114/218 I 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MARINE BITTThis invention relates to marine bitts or the like for securing lines orcables thereto.

In the prior art, conventional marine-type bitts have required at leasta clove hitch or similar hitch to be made in the line or cable placedthereon, a single half hitch being insufficient. Frequently, a halfhitch also is placed on the bitt or capstan over the clove hitch so asto insure adequate holding. In the case of the conventional cleat, afterthe line is placed thereon, one or more half hitches usually are placedon the extending horns or arms of the cleat. The result is that time andeffort are necessary to make the fastening or to remove the line fromthe bitt or cleat. Sometimes it is desirable to take in the line orshorten the same, which requires undoing of the half hitches or clovehitch. Also, when more than one line is placed on a bitt, it isnecessary to loosen or remove the outside one in order to adjust or castoff the under one.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved marinebitt upon which a line can be secured in a simple manner. I

In one aspect of the invention, the bitt has a base which can be securedto a ship or other surface or object. There are at least a pair ofupstanding posts from the base, the posts having flanges only on thetops thereof. The posts preferably are semicircular-like in section. Theposts are arranged to define a slot therebetween for receiving thestanding part of the line to be secured, the slot preferably being lessthan about two line diameters, but it can be one line diameter. Theflange or lip width can be .from k to one line diameter, although insome instances where there may be vertical pull involved, the flangesmay need to be larger. The line to be secured has the standing partplaced in the slot and then a half hitch laid thereover around the postsand under the flanges or lips.

The term line includes cable and the term marine includes all uses wherea line or cable is to be secured. The terms standing end and free endhave the meaning as used in the art of Seamanship.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following description and drawings which aremerely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a line secured to the bitt;

FIG. 2 is a reduced sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 except that the free end of the line hasbeen drawn out; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the line being placed on the bitt.

Referring to FIG. 1, the bitt can be fastened to surface 11 in anysuitable manner such as by bolts or screws (not shown). The bitt 10 hasa base portion 12 with upstanding posts l3, 14, the posts having flangesor lips 15, 16 at the upper ends thereof. Such leaves a reduced diameterzone or portion 17, 18 for the line. Slot 19 is located between theupstanding posts 13, 14 for receiving the line to be secured as will beexplained hereafter.

A line to be secured has its standing part 20 placed in slot 19 as seenin FIG. 4 and a half hitch 21 looped over the posts 13, 14 and drawntight so as to be below flanges or lips l5, 16 on the reduced portion17, 18 of the bitt. Thus, the half hitch is laid over the bitt andstanding portion 20 of the line upon which pull or tension is placed. Asstrain is placed upon standing portion 20, free end 22 will be wedged at23 against the edge 24 (FIG. 4) of a post so as to firmly hold the linein place. Corners or edges 24 should not be made so sharp that the linewill be cut or crimped at this point.

As previously mentioned, the slot width should be less than two linediameters for positive holding. it must be, however, at least onediameter. The flanges or lips can vary according to use, as to one linediameter being normally adequate. If there may be uses where the linepull approaches vertical, then the flanges may have to be wider. Also,where the pull is always horizontal, the flanges can be minimized orpossibly omitted.

When it is desired to loosen, take in, or remove the secured line, it isonly necessary to pull the free end 22 as shown in FIG. 3 which willremove the wedging or binding action at the edge 24 so that the relationof the standing part 20 in the slot and bitt can be changed. Similarly,if there is another line'(not shown) in slot 19 with a half hitch on thebitt, underneath the outside half hitch, the lower one can be removed bymerely pulling the free end of the lower one which will permit removalthereof. Also, the standing portion 20 of the line can be loosened inorder to remove the same.

Thus, it can be seen that the bitt can easily have a line securedthereto and removed therefrom. Slack can be taken up by merely pullingon the free end without undoing or remaking the lines. Further, when thefree end is released, the line will be automatically relocked inposition. Only one half hitch is required to obtain positive holdingpower.

It is to be understood that variations may be made in details ofconstructions and in uses or arrangement without departing from thespirit of the invention except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

. 1. In a marine bitt, the combination including a base securable to asurface, and having only one pair of upstanding posts with outwardlyextending integral flange means only at the tops of said posts, saidposts being substantially semicircular in cross section, thesemicircular portion of said cross section being at the exteriorsurfaces of said posts, and with said flange means extending around saidsemicircular cross sections, said posts defining a slot therebetween,said flanges extending outwardly with respect to said slot, so that aline to be secured can be placed in the slot between the posts and ahalf hitch laid around said posts over said line and below said flangemeans.

2. A marine bitt as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slot is betweenapproximately one and two diameters in width of the line to be used.

3. A marine bitt as claimed in claim 1 and including a line having itsstanding part in said slot with its free end in a half hitch around saidposts and over said standing part in said slot, the standing partgripping the free end at the edge of the slot and post as tension isplaced on said standing part.

1. In a marine bitt, the combination including a base securable to asurface, and having only one pair of upstanding posts with outwardlyextending integral flange means only at the tops of said posts, saidposts being substantially semicircular in cross section, thesemicircular portion of said cross section being at the exteriorsurfaces of said posts, and with said flange means extending around saidsemicircular cross sections, said posts defining a slot therebetween,said flanges extending outwardly with respect to said slot, so that aline to be secured can be placed in the slot between the posts and ahalf hitch laid around said posts over said line and below said flangemeans.
 2. A marine bitt as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slot isbetween approximately one and two diameters in width of the line to beused.
 3. A marine bitt as claimed in claim 1 and including a line havingits standing part in said slot with its free end in a half hitch aroundsaid posts and over said standing part in said slot, the standing partgripping the free end at the edge of the slot and post as tension isplaced on said standing part.